PITTSBURGH – The former girlfriend of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Cedrick Wilson says he encouraged her to commit suicide during events leading to her armed standoff at his apartment last month. Wilson denied the accusation through his lawyer.

Police withdrew charges of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment against the woman, Lindsey Paulat, yesterday. But she waived her right to a preliminary hearing and will stand trial on a new felony charge: discharging a firearm in an occupied structure.

After the hearing, Paulat said Wilson urged her to shoot herself after he left his apartment. She stayed in the apartment and later held police at bay for about 12 hours. She surrendered in the early hours of Jan. 20 and was taken to a mental health facility, authorities said.

“I had called him and said, 'You hurt me so bad you make me want to die,' ” Paulat told KDKA-TV. “And he said, 'The gun is loaded. Go get it and kill yourself.' ”

Wilson's attorney, Paul Goltz, said Wilson didn't speak with Paulat by phone until after police got involved trying to quell the standoff. Those conversations were monitored by police, who urged Wilson to be conciliatory to end the dispute, Goltz said.